Lieutenant Governor Crash Data Release

The following was released on Lt. Governor Tim Murray's November accident:

In response to public records requests, please find attached five documents related to the Nov. 2 motor vehicle crash involving Lt. Governor Timothy Murray on Route 190 in Sterling.

Included are:

1. and 2.) Imaged hexadecimal data from the power control module [PCM.CDRx] and the airbag control module [ACM.CDRx] from the 2007 Crown Victoria. These are the raw data from what has commonly been called the “black box” of the vehicle. These data files require specialized software, such as that used by the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, to be opened and translated into readily understandable data, including “Crash Pulse Data,” the tables that are contained in the translated documents (see #s 3. and 4. below).

3. and 4.) Translated crash data from the power control module [PCM.PDF] and airbag control module [ACM.PDF] in the form of .pdf files that can be readily opened by any computer with Adobe software.

5. A .pdf file of the Massachusetts State Police Collision Reconstruction Report done by the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section.

The retrieved data encompasses 20 seconds prior to impact and five seconds following impact. In #5 above, you will see a summary of facts that concludes, among other details, that:

• The Crown Victoria was traveling southbound on Route 190 at speeds ranging from a low of 75 mph to a high of 99 mph while on the roadway before traveling off of the west shoulder of the roadway.

• The vehicle traveled a distance of approximately 140 feet at a shallow angle across the grass shoulder before striking a rock ledge.

• The speed at impact with the ledge was approximately 92 mph, and the angle of impact was almost parallel to the ledge.

• The vehicle then traveled an additional 232 feet in a southerly direction while rotating clockwise and rolling over.

• Retrieved crash data indicates the vehicle’s maximum recorded speed was 108 mph approximately .4 seconds prior to impact with the ledge.

• There was no braking prior to impact.

• The operator was not wearing a seatbelt.

* * * * * *

Earlier determinations that the vehicle hit black ice and went out of control were based on operator statements and observations of slippery conditions on the road. The new data, however, suggests that the cause was not black ice, as most drivers who strike ice respond by sudden braking and attempts to correct the vehicle’s course by steering action. Neither sudden braking nor corrective steering are reflected in this data.

Based on this data, it is not possible to conclude with 100 percent certainty the cause of the crash. The data, however, is potentially consistent with an operator falling asleep and not realizing the car had gone off the road until the point of impact. Facts that are potentially indicative of this cause are the steady acceleration, shallow angle of exit from the roadway, and lack of braking and corrective steering.

As a result of these findings, the Massachusetts State Police today issued a citation to Lt. Governor Timothy Murray for the following civil offenses: 1.) Speeding; 2.) Marked Lanes Violation; 3.) Seat Belt Violation. The total assessment on the citation is $555. That is broken down as follows: $430 for speeding (108 mph in a 65 mph zone); $100 for the marked lanes violation; and 3.) $25 for the seat belt violation. The citation was delivered to the Lt. Governor at his home this morning.

David Procopio

Spokesman

Massachusetts State Police